Just Googled it, I remember my dad telling me about it but I never actually saw the tackle....
"His commitment levels took him via Lincoln City to Port Vale where he was embroiled in controversy during a match against Sheffield United on Nov 22, 1997, at Vale Park. Early in the match, an Ainsworth tackle on Dane Whitehouse resulted in the end of the midfielder’s career. “I’ve never really spoken publicly about it,’’ said Ainsworth, recalling that some Sheffield United supporters came looking for him on the bus when Vale visited Bramall Lane the following March. “A few of my team-mates told me there were a few people saying ‘where’s Ainsworth?’ Which is not nice. I wasn’t on the bus. I’d gone home with my parents. It’s not nice thinking that people think I meant it.
“Thinking that I ended someone’s career is not nice but I can look in the mirror and say I know I didn’t meant ever to injure anyone. I never have in my career. Ever. It’s not my style. I was going for the ball. I went in full-blooded, and it was a tough tackle. With modern medicine today, we wouldn’t be talking about a career-ending tackle. It was unfortunate.
“I sent him a letter when I knew it was a serious injury. There was no reply. Obviously, I do feel bad it was me in the tackle. But you never mean to end anyone’s career. If I could say (wish) the tackle never happened that would be great, but I’d never pull out of a tackle. I haven’t done in my career.
“I remember going back there and getting dog’s abuse, but it’s the pantomime of football as well. I remember going in tough on Alan Kelly, who was their keeper at the time, and I’d played with him at Preston, and I caught him. I said to him: ‘Please get up because if you stay down I’m not going to get out of here alive.’ It’s always an intimidating place to go."